Steering unit joint



Aug-,4, 19,367 G. H. HUFFIERD ET AL y 2,049,502

` STEERING UNIT JOINT Filyed Feb. 2e, 1954 -Ax J I Patented Aug. 4, 1936` IUNITI-:D STATES PATENT- OFFICE l STEERING UNIrJolN'r George n. minera and Daniel n. Newey, Detroit,

Mich., assignors to Thompson Products, Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation oi'` Ohio , Application February 26, 19314, lserial No. 712,903 1,

s claims. (ci. 2st-e0) tie rod joints.

The tie rod joint of this invention comprises a housing having a stud element extending from each end thereof. The joint is adapted to connect both a front wheel. steering arm and a drag link from the steering wheel to a tie rod. y'A wide latitude of` rotary and angular movement is permitted by the joint of this invention and the joint is automatically self-adjusting to compen-` sate for the wear of the bearing parts therein.

4llt is therefore an object of this invention to provide a steering unit joint for automotive vehicles which is simple in design and automatically adjusted to compensate for wear of the parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tie rod joint adapted to connect the tie rod with both a drag link and a, front wheel steering arm.

Another object of this invention is to provide a joint having oppositely disposed stud elements extending therefrom. Y

A further object of this invention is to provide a tie rod joint having a pair of stud elements seated in a single housing and having bearing parts that are Vautomatically compensated. for

wear.

Another'object of this invention isv to provide a novel compound joint having a pair of studs freely rotatable about their own axis and tiltable through awide arc.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating a preferred em- -bodiment of this invention.

drag link. and an automobile front wheel steering Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, lwithparts in elevation, of a modified form of joint construction according to this invention.

As shown on the drawing: y In Figure 1 the reference numeral I0 indicates aconventional form of tie rod used on automol5l tive vehicles. The tie rod I is secured at the ends thereof to the shanks II and I2 of tie rods I3 and I4 respectively. t e o Clamp members I5 are .provided to lock the Shanks II .and I2 in adjustediscrew-thread rela- 10 tion in the tie rod II). I

The tie rod joint I3 may be of any conventional type provided 'with f a single stud I6 extending therefrom. 'I'he stud I6 is adapted to receive thereon the end I'l of a steering arm lla from 15 front wheel of an automotive vehicle.

The tie rod joint I4 is of a form provided by this invention having a pair of oppositely disposed studs I8 and I9 extending from Athe ends thereof. Stud Ill is adapted to receive thereon the end 20 of a drag link 2I from a steering rod (not shown). The stud I9 is adapted to receive thereon the end 22 of a front .wheel steering arm 22a.

' In Figure 2, the shank I2 of the tie rod joint 25 I4 is shown inserted into the tie rod Ill. The tie rod end is slotted as at Illa. to permit the clamp I5 to tighten the rod end around the shank I2 after the proper threaded adjustment has been made in the rod.

The tie rodjoint I4 comprises a housing member having a cylindrical opening 3| extending therethrough. The bottom of the housing is provided with an inturned flange 32 dening an opening 33 through which the stud I9 freely'extends.

A seating element 34 is placed in the housing 30 against the inturned flanges 32 as shown. The

seating element 34 is provided with an inside segmental spherical bearing surface 35.

The stud I9 hasformed thereon a Isegmental ball end 36 having a flat bottom 31 with a countersunk portion or well 38 in the center thereof, for receiving one end .of a. coiled spring 39.

The stud I8 is identical with the stud I9 and thus is providedv with a Asegmental ball end 40 having a flat bottom 4I with a countersunk portion or well 42 in the center thereof fdr receiving the other end of the coil spring 39. A seating element 43 similar to the seating element 34 is provided with an inside segmental spherical bearing surface 44 for cooperating with the ball end 40. The. top end of the housing 3|)A is peened over as at 45 for holding the seating element 43 therein and for defining an annular opening. .46 through which the stud I8 may freely extend.

Washers 41 are provided on each end of the housing 30 for preventing loss of lubricant from 5 the interior of the housing' or ingress of dirt. The washers 41 are held in position by tapered coil springs 48 compressed between the washers and the end 22 of the steering arm 22a, or the end 20 of the drag link 2|. The `drag link end 20 is held on the stud I8 by a nut 49, while the steering arm end 22 is held on the'stud I9 by a nut 50. The tie rod joint I4 therefore comprises two oppositely disposed studs I8 and I9 extending from opposite ends of the housing 30. A pair of l5 seating elements 34 and 43 having inside segmental bearing surfaces are mounted in spaced relation in the ends ofthe housing. The segmental ball ends of the stud members have flat -bottoms 31 and 4I provided with aligned 2,0 wells 38 and 42 for receiving opposite ends of a coil spring 39 held under compression. It will readily be appreciated that the studs i8 and I9 are freely rotatable about their own axis and may be tilted throughout a large angular arc.

1 25 Unequal movements of the drag link and the steering arm relative to the tie rod arev thus4 4readily permitted. Any wearing of the ball ends or seating elements is automatically compensated for by the spring 39 which constantly urges 30 the stud ends into a true bearing fit with the seat elements.

In Figure 3 there is illustrated another form of tie rod joint according to this invention having a housing 60 provided with a laterally ex- 3" tending shank 6I threaded into a tie rod 62. The tie rod end is slotted as shown at 62a so that the shank 6I may b'e clamped in adjusted threaded relation in thetie rod 62 by means of a. clamp 63. The housing 60 is provided with a cylindrical 40 opening 64 extending therethrough. An inturned flange 65 at the bottom of the housing 60 denes an opening 66 through which a stud 61 may freely extend. y YThe top end of'the housing 60 is provided with 45'a groove 68a for receiving a ring member 68 defining an opening E9 through which a stud 1I may freely extend. The ring member 68 is securely held in the housing by peening the end of the housing over the top of the ring as shown 50 at'IU.

The stud 61 has formed on its end thereof a segmental ball 12 having a flat bottom 13 provided with a well 14 for receiving one end of a coiled spring 15.

55 The stud member 1I likewise has formed thereon a segmental ball end 16 provided with a flat bottom 11 having a well' 18 in the center thereof. The wells 14 and 18 are in vertical alignment and are adapted to receive the opposite 60, ends of a coil spring 15 which urges the studs 61 and 1I outwardv from the center of the housing.

A plurality of ball bearings 19 areadapted to roll in the opening 64 of the housing between the 65 flange 65 and the segmental ball end 12 of the stud 61. Likewise a pluralityof ball bearings 80 are adapted to roll freely in the housing 61 between the segmental ball end 16 of the stud member 1I and the ring member 61.

70 This arrangement provides a free rotary movement of the studs 61 and 1I about their own axis' on the bearing surfaces provided by their segmental ball ends 12 and 16 respectively, and the ball bearings 19 and 8D respectively. The spheri- 75 cal shape of the ball ends 12 and 16 also permits a free angular or tilting movement of the studs 61 and 1I relative to the housing.

The spring 15 constantly urges the ball ends 12 and 16 of the studs 61 and 1I against the ball bearings 19 and 8U respectively and provides an 5 automatic compensating adjustment for wear of the bearing surfaces. l

It is obvious that the feature of maintaining a pair of oppositely disposed studs in proper bearing relationship in a tie rod housing may be ap- 10 plied to specific forms of tie rod construction other than the two modifications shown in our drawing `without, departing 'from the scope of this invention. Our invention makes possible the elimination of heretofore necessary elements and 15 provides-a safe but simple steering unit for automotive vehicles which isV automatically adjusted to compensate for wear and thus will not rattle or permit front wheel shimmy even afterl considerable use. 20

Having now described our invention, we are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim:

1. A tie rod joint comprising a housing having means for connection with a tie rod, said housing having a cylindrical opening extending therethrough, an inturned flange `on the bottom of said housing for defining an annular opening, a stud member extending through said opening, a ball end on said stud, a'seating. element pressed against said flange having a segmental spherical bearing surface cooperating withthe ball stud end, an annular retaining member on the other end of said housing defining an annular opening, 40 a second stud extending through said opening, a ball end on said second stud, a second seating element, pressed against said retaining memberg having a'segmental spherical bearing surface for cooperating with the ball end of said second stud, and a coil spring acting against the ends of said 1 lstud members to maintain the same in operative bearing position in the seat elements.

2. A tie rod joint having a casing provided with means for connection to a tie rod, said casing forming an outer raceway, a plurality of ball bearings therein, a pair of oppositely disposed stud elements extending from the ends of said casing, ball ends on said studs forming inner raceways for the ball bearings, and means urging said ball ends into contact with said ball bearings for holding the studs in operative position in the casing.

3. A tie rod joint comprising a housing provided with means for connection to a tie rod, said housinghaving a. bore extending therethrough and segmental spherical bearing surfaces therein at each end of said bore, studs projecting freely from each end of said bore having segmental ball ends seated in said bearing surfaces, said ball ends also having wells formed in the central portion of the bottoms thereof and a coiled spring seated at both ends thereof in said wells and maintained under compression to urge the ball ends of the stud into full bearing reiation with the bearing surfaces in the housing.

4. A tie rod joint comprising a housingmaving a cylindrical bore extending therethrough, means defining restricted annular openings at both ends of said bore and providing shoulders at each end of the housing, studs extending freely through l each opening to the bore, said studs having segmental bail ends in the housing, ball 'bearings disposed between said ball ends and said housing in abutting relation to said shoulders. said segmental ball ends of the studs having wells formed in the central portion of the bottoms thereof and a coiled spring seated at each end thereof in said wells and maintained under compression to urge the studs apart into bearing relation with the ball bearing and thereby maintain a three point contact of the ball bearing with the ball ends of the studs, the inside walls of the housing and the shoulders of the housing respectively.

mental ball ends cooperating with said bearing surfaces and resilient means urged against the bottoms of said bali ends for maintaining the studs in proper assembled relation m the housing. 1-0

GEORGE H. HUFFERD. DANIEL n. NEWEY. 

